TfL shows how we deliver the service

This from TfL, is brilliant!

Finally somebody acknowledges those who make our industry happen.

Day in. Day out. And safely. We get you home!

Lookalike - 'Time on their hands' edition...

This from the Yorkshire Post...

"Engineering services group Renew Holdings said the chief executive of transport group Go-Ahead has joined the group.

"David Brown has join​ed Leeds-based Renew as a non-executive director with immediate effect."

Remind you of anyone?

TSSA Exec ushers in austerity Christmas

Here's a tale to warm the heart of every industry Scrooge.

The TSSA's Executive Committee Report for October records the following sad news...

Finances
In the light of the serious financial reductions that will need to be introduced over the next few months the EC set an early example by:
•    Not accepting an invitation to send a delegates to the International Transport Workers Federation Women’s conference in Delhi in January 2014
•    Cancelling its Christmas dinner

Such selflessness will no doubt be welcomed by members whose subs previously funded the Yuletide jolly.

UPDATE: This from Oliver Cromwell...

They've obviously gone for cheaper printers this year too...

UPDATE: This from Pendolino Warrior...

Saddened the TSSA is "Not accepting an invitation to send a delegates to the International Transport Workers Federation Women’s conference in Delhi in January 2014".

I wonder what their former president Harriet Yeo would have to say? 

Perhaps something along these lines...

Greater Anglia - We're all in it together!

This gem from the Ipswich Star...

The Prime Minister ditched his train at Manningtree yesterday amid fears engineering work would push his schedule off track.

Mr Cameron jumped off the train into waiting cars in the Essex town as he rushed to deliver a keynote speech in Suffolk’s county town fearing overhead line work at Needham Market would create congestion at Ipswich station.

Eye wonders if he used Mr Toad's motor, which is no doubt on stand-by at his Chelmsford constituency?

Just fancy that! All in it together...

This from The Inchworm...

The new year has seen the publication of some interesting statistics on the costs of Britain's railway.

Eye readers may wish to file these under 'Just Fancy That!'.

• Annual cost of Simon Burn's government chauffeur - £80,000
• 7 day season ticket from Chelmsford to London - £88.50

• Average cap on regulated fares - 4.3%
• Average cap on freight track access charges for CP5 - 23%

• Network Rail's future annual contribution to ORR's costs - £18m
• Network Rail's future annual contribution to RDG's costs - £1.4m

• Expected annual revenue from increased charges for coal trains - £22m
• Transport Committee's estimate of cost of WCML fiasco - 'well in excess of £40m'

And finally, the funding gap between Network Rail's Strategic Business Plan and Government SoFA is a massive £4.9bn!

McNulty is dead! Long live McNulty!

UPDATE: This from a Dr Calculus...

I wonder if this reflects the biggest disparity in numbers since the 'Victorian Era'?

UPDATE: This from Network Rail...

Inchworm says the difference between our Strategic Business Plan (SBP) and the Statement of Funds Available (SoFA) was £4.9bn, suggesting that there is a funding gap.

This is not the case, although given the complexity of the financing structure, I can understand the error.

We have said we can deliver the plans from the funds available and we will.

The reason the SoFA and SBP are different is they talk about different things.

For instance, the SoFA does NOT include enhancements and the SBP contains £12bn of them. Similarly, the SBP does not include debt servicing, but the SoFA does.

And just to be clear I'm not trying to pull any wool over Inchworm's eyes, even if you build those factors in to the calculations, the SBP still comes out well under the SoFA.

In fact, the SBP is (very roughly) one third ops/maintenance, one third renewals and one third enhancements.

I've done a fag packet calculation and I still can't reach a £4.9bn gap, even theoretically.

For more information I commend you to pages 80 to 83 in the Strategic Business Plan.

UPDATE: Inchworm responds:  

These numbers come from p58 of the same document (bottom para, summary):

This quotes the SoFA as £28.5bn and the SBP costing £33.4bn, hence the gap of £4.9bn.

Gideon Gripped!

This from @RachTownsendITV (for non Twitter regulars read from the bottom up)...

That's the SOFA slashed then.

RDG publishes initial thoughts on Franchise Review

This from the minutes of the 9th October meeting of the Rail Delivery Group...

Independent review of franchising
 
This item had been placed on the agenda of the meeting at short notice in the light of the events of the previous week. It was felt that RDG should take a lead on this issue and express the industry’s views to both Government and the independent review of franchising
Points made during discussions included:

• It was essential that the franchising process was restarted as soon as possible;
• There were many changes that would be desirable but there needed to be realism about what was achievable and changes must not get in the way of restarting the franchising process;
• RDG should consider what had been said before on the subject but should not be constrained by previously expressed views;
• RDG‘s views on the key principles of franchising should be expressed succinctly;
• Owning groups were still considering the changes they would seek and the input that they would make; and
• RDG should identify where there was common ground between the owning groups.

During further discussion the Group suggested that some of the issues that could be lodged with the independent review could include:

• The cost, complexity and risk associated with bidding;
• The size, length and risks of franchises;
• That a significant proportion of the savings and efficiencies presumed in the Statement of Funds Available and assumed in the Initial Industry Plan were dependent on the rapid reinstatement of the franchising process enabling franchises to work with Network Rail;
• Mechanisms used in other transport industries and other countries including the use of framework agreements should be considered; and
• There was a paramount need for flexibility in franchising.

The Group agreed that the issue should be progressed by the creation of a working group. The working group should:

• Review previous work on franchising;
• Recognise that significant change could delay the restarting of the franchise process;
• Be distinct from work done by ATOC and other groups;
• Produce a straw man for further discussion; and
• Be responsible for producing RDG’s submission to the independent review of franchising.

Whilst this is a helpful starting point there are one or two gaps in the information that the RDG has published in its minutes.

For instance: 

• Who will be on the new Working Group?

• When is it due to report back?

• Will the Working Group's findings be made public? and;

• Will the Industry Forum be invited to comment on the findings of the Working Group before they are submitted to DfT/Richard Brown?

Now that the ORR has given its blessing to formalising the role of the RDG the group needs to become a lot more transparent and be much more proactive in its engagement with the wider industry.

UPDATE: This from Messrs S Ply & Chain...

Whilst much of the focus on the InterCity West Coast fiasco has been on the impact that it will have on bidders the knock on effect within the supply chain appears not to be given voice.

Significant investment in rolling stock usually follows new franchise awards and with so many franchises now on hold there is a real risk of the supply chain stagnating and shrinking in the short term and overheating in the long.

As McNulty made clear these peaks and troughs need levelling out for the good of the whole industry as well as for tax and fare payers.

RDG needs to broaden its reach and engage with members of the Supply Chain to ensure that conversations on the future of franchising are not restricted to a narrow clique of Owner Groups.

Railway looks after those who also serve

Good news from ATOC!

National Rail companies have finally been allowed to join TfL in granting gallant service personnel, involved with the Olympics, free travel on rail services to and from Games venues.

And quite right too!

Eye understands that despite the willingness of the industry to recognise the contribution made by service men and women the MoD remained to be convinced.

Perhaps such generosity from private sector contractors is not usually encountered by inhabitants of the Main Building?

No matter, the offer has been accepted.

Is this the first time that Petrol-head Hammond has helped the railway celebrate anything positive?